Mobile Impacts Customer Loyalty More than Transactions

What is the impact of mobile on your bottom line? According to a new survey from EPiServer, the biggest return on mobile today is from increased customer loyalty and personalization, rather than mobile transactions.

Mobile, like social media, is more likely to help customers learn more about you and engage with you. It’s all a part of that process we call the customer journey. In fact, 46% of retailers who already have a mobile strategy in place and 74% of retailers who are planning to implement a mobile strategy in the coming year, are already using mobile primarily to increase customer loyalty and/or provide a more personalized experience for consumers.

Why Doesn’t Mobile Result in More eCommerce Transactions?

According to EPiServer, even though mobile transactions increased 16% in 2012, unless you’re Amazon, or eBay, mobile transactions aren’t going to be the primary driver of ROI stemming from mobile strategies. You can chalk it up to (lack of) ease of purchasing through other retail sites or the popularity of showrooming. Yet, retailers are not giving up on mobile, just redefining its role in their marketing and customer experience strategies. Retailers can use mobile to differentiate themselves through convenience and brand loyalty.

What Does Mobile Customer Loyalty Look Like?

It starts with a mobile strategy, of course. The survey showed that 61% of retailers say they already have a mobile strategy, while a majority of those who don’t have one say they will in the coming year. Still, a majority are relying on web apps, rather than mobile apps to engage customers.

While the survey didn’t necessarily spell out how retailers will use mobile to achieve customer loyalty or improve personalization, which were among their top goals, who they are looking to inspire them is telling. Amazon, eBay, Starbucks and Facebook were among the companies considered to be using mobile channels effectively to increase customer experience and the user journey.